In-car and portable electronic apparatuses such as car audio and car navigation systems and mobile phones are becoming more and more diverse in function in recent years. In line with this trend, multi-directional switches used to operate these apparatuses have been required to have high speed and easy-to-use features.
FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of conventional multi-directional switch 10. FIG. 14 is a sectional view of multi-directional switch 10. In these drawings, the dimension in the thickness direction is exaggerated for clarity.
Multi-directional switch 10 includes wiring board 1, two push switches 3, two pins 4, case 5, and operating body 6.
Wiring board 1 has, on its upper surface, a wiring pattern and electrodes 2. Electrodes 2 are substantially square shaped.
Push switches 3 are fixed on electrodes 2 on the upper surface of wiring board 1 by soldering or other means.
Pins 4, which are made of resin, are disposed on the upper surfaces of push switches 3.
Case 5, which is bottomless and made of resin, has two holes 5A, two side walls 5B, and two shafts 5C. Holes 5A are formed at the left and right sides of the upper surface of case 5. Side walls 5B are formed at the front and back on the upper surface of case 5. Shafts 5C project inside side walls 5B.
Case 5 covers pins 4 such that the upper ends of pins 4 project from holes 5A.
Operating body 6, which is made of resin, has trunk 6A, two pressure arms 6B, two bearings 6C, and operating part 6D. Trunk 6A is shaped like an arch. Pressure arms 6B are formed at the left and right ends of trunk 6A. Bearings 6C, which are recesses, are formed in the side walls at the front and back ends of trunk 6A. Operating part 6D, which has a substantially T-shaped cross section, is disposed on the upper surface of trunk 6A.
Operating body 6 is disposed such that shafts 5C are inserted into bearings 6C, and that the bottom surfaces of pressure arms 6B are located over pins 4.
When mounted on, for example, a car steering wheel, multi-directional switch 10 is covered with upper surface cover 11 made of resin. Upper surface cover 11 has oval hole 11A from which operating part 6D of switch 10 is exposed. In this case, multi-directional switch 10 is connected, for example, to a car audio or car navigation system via a cable or other means.
When, for example, selecting a song using the audio system, the user tilts operating part 6D as shown in FIG. 15.
When the user tilts operating part 6D to the right, the right-side pressure arm 6B pushes the right-side pin 4, which then pushes the right-side push switch 3.
As a result, the front display shows some icons representing the corresponding songs. When the audio system detects that the right-side push switch 3 has been pushed, the selection moves to the icon on the right side of the currently selected icon. The user continues to tilt operating part 6D until the selection moves to the icon representing the desired song.
Thus, when the user tilts operating body 6 either to the left or right, pressure arm 6B pushes push switch 3 via pin 4 in the tilt direction of operating part 6D. Multi-directional switch 10 enables an electronic apparatus connected thereto to perform a function desired by the user according to the tilt direction of operating part 6D.
A multi-directional switch similar to conventional multi-directional switch 10 is shown in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2006-12695.